Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2009

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No: 702

Conference: Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2009

Title: Regional and World Level Scenarios for Sodium Fast Reactor Deployment

Theme: Emerging Reactor Designs

Author(s): Fosco Bianchi, Rolando Calabrese, Antonino Lantieri, Georgios Glinatsis, Stefano Monti

Contact : Fosco Bianchi

E-mail: fosco.bianchi@bologna.enea.it

Address: ENEA
Bologna 40129

Country: Italy

The revival of the interest towards fast neutron reactors is due to their capability to produce more fissile than they consume, besides to reduce the burden on the disposal of high-level waste containing very-long life nuclides. Of course a rapid substitution of the existing LWRs by FRs requires large technical and economic investments that are currently not justified considering the high uncertainties on the long-term energy demand and electricity consumption.
Different studies have been launched by international and national organizations on impact of transition scenarios. They show that the relevance of transitioning to fast reactors depends on the expected future role of nuclear energy and on the development of advanced nuclear technologies.
The scenarios (regional and world-level) selected for that study assume the logic of NEA low scenario for nuclear capacity to 2050 and they consider the nuclear capacity constant after that date.
The deployment of sodium fast reactors is foreseen from 2040 to cover up to 1/3 of the energy demand.
The calculations have been performed with DESAE code (Dynamic Energy System - Atomic Energy).
The paper deals with the results of assessment performed to investigate the maximum deployable capacity of fast reactors mainly from the viewpoint of uranium resources availability and date of deployment.

No:	702
Conference:	Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2009
Title:	Regional and World Level Scenarios for Sodium Fast Reactor Deployment
Theme:	Emerging Reactor Designs
Author(s):	Fosco Bianchi, Rolando Calabrese, Antonino Lantieri, Georgios Glinatsis, Stefano Monti
Contact :	Fosco Bianchi
E-mail:	fosco.bianchi@bologna.enea.it
Address:	ENEA Bologna 40129
Country:	Italy

The revival of the interest towards fast neutron reactors is due to their capability to produce more fissile than they consume, besides to reduce the burden on the disposal of high-level waste containing very-long life nuclides. Of course a rapid substitution of the existing LWRs by FRs requires large technical and economic investments that are currently not justified considering the high uncertainties on the long-term energy demand and electricity consumption. Different studies have been launched by international and national organizations on impact of transition scenarios. They show that the relevance of transitioning to fast reactors depends on the expected future role of nuclear energy and on the development of advanced nuclear technologies. The scenarios (regional and world-level) selected for that study assume the logic of NEA low scenario for nuclear capacity to 2050 and they consider the nuclear capacity constant after that date. The deployment of sodium fast reactors is foreseen from 2040 to cover up to 1/3 of the energy demand. The calculations have been performed with DESAE code (Dynamic Energy System - Atomic Energy). The paper deals with the results of assessment performed to investigate the maximum deployable capacity of fast reactors mainly from the viewpoint of uranium resources availability and date of deployment.